The bill, S.B. No. 60, aims to enhance emergency preparedness and safety requirements for youth camps in Texas by amending the Health and Safety Code. It introduces new standards that the executive commissioner must establish, including the addition of fire and flood precautions to the existing health and safety standards. Furthermore, the bill adds a new section, 141.0091, which outlines specific emergency preparedness requirements that youth camp operators must meet to obtain or renew their licenses. These requirements include maintaining operable radios for weather alerts, installing an emergency warning system, monitoring safety alerts, adopting a written emergency preparedness plan, and conducting safety drills. Additionally, the bill mandates that camp operators provide documentation to the department demonstrating compliance with these emergency preparedness requirements. This includes obtaining approval for their emergency preparedness plan from local emergency response agencies and providing weekly notifications of the number of campers present. The executive commissioner is tasked with adopting necessary rules to implement these new provisions, which will take effect 91 days after the legislative session concludes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 141.009 (Health and Safety Code 141)